Hello and welcome to all. First off, thank you all so much for taking the time to tune into our live tracker and follow along. We are pleased to be able to bring you live coverage as it happens for the third straight season.
We are certainly in different times, now seven months into the COVID-19 pandemic, but what better way to bring people together than rally around hockey and the next generation. For months and years, these players have been working to refine their skills, thus growing a brand, and for the first time, a number of players will be hearing their names called from the comfort of home.
It’s certainly been a long road to get where many now are at this point in their careers, and every moment they have spent on the ice, consulting with coaches, has prepared them for this day. As for us, over here at The Puck Authority, our staff have spent months on end scouting and researching.
All to bring our readers and supporters the best coverage possible for this very special day. Before we go on any further, a special thanks goes to all who have been involved in helping to further grow the site and our brand. We truly couldn’t have done it without you, helping set the stage for an event of this stature.
More specifically, a special thank you to Mark Seidel at North American Central Scouting. For the last two years, we have partnered with NACS, helping share their rankings picked from long and hard hours. Secondly to David Ciss, our CEO, for all that he’s done. From spending many hours watching video to taking calls to better analyze players. Without his hard work and dedication, this wouldn’t be possible, nor would the site exist, so a message of thanks.
To our many scouts, from Armand Klisivitch to Joseph Stanislau to Costa Rontzocos. The work this trio has done has provided our readers with reliable resources. Not only that, but they’ve also created some top-end content. None of this work goes unnoticed, our team is so grateful for their unwavering commitment.
Lastly to the OHL teams who have credentialed our outlet and let us do what we do. We’re grateful for the opportunity to cover, and more than that, we are happy to do it whenever we’re able. This includes the Kitchener Rangers and Mississauga Steelheads, who have contributed to our growth.
With all the thank you’s out of the way, let’s jump right into this year’s NHL Draft. The consensus first overall pick this year is Alexis Lafreniere from the QMJHL. Lafreniere has become a household name across the CHL, thus across the country. He did so with the Rimouski Oceanic and is now preparing to start his journey as a pro.
Right behind him, the idea is that Quinton Byfield is off to Los Angeles. Byfield is an 18-year-old forward with the Sudbury Wolves in the Ontario Hockey League. He has smooth hands and a quick release, never mind his height, which is an added incentive. From there, your guess is good as ours with numerous projections from pick three and onwards.
To give a quick glance to the future, many are playing with the current idea of the Ottawa Senators taking Tim Stutzle at three. While that’s one way of going, some others have Jamie Drysdale from the Erie Otters. Moving down, at No. 4, Cole Perfetti to Detroit wouldn’t be a surprise, and then there’s some chatter of No. 5 being Lucas Raymond while others have Jake Sanderson. From there, the fun really kicks off and we hope your stick with us and follow along.
Just a couple quick housekeeping notes: a reminder that the New York Rangers won this year’s first NHL Draft Lottery to move from 10th to first. Likewise, the Los Angeles Kings won the second of two draft lotteries to move from fourth to second.
With the third overall selection, Ottawa acquired it in exchange for Erik Karlsson. At pick 13, the Carolina Hurricanes acquired the pick from the Toronto Maple Leafs. That trade involved Patrick Marleau. At 18, the New Jersey Devils acquired the pick in the Taylor Hall trade.
At 20, the New Jersey Devils acquired the pick in the J.T. Miller trade. At 21, the Columbus Blue Jackets acquired the pick in the Matt Duchene trade. At 22, the New York Rangers acquired the pick in the Brady Skjei trade. At 23, the Anaheim Ducks acquired the pick in the Ondrej Kase trade.
At 28, the Ottawa Senators acquired the pick in the Jean-Gabriel Pageau trade. Finally, at 31, the San Jose Sharks acquired the pick in the Barclay Goodrow trade with Tampa Bay.
Now you’re all caught up with the inner workings of how this draft works. We certainly hope you’ll join us by following along on our social media platforms. On Twitter, you can find as @PuckAuthority1, meanwhile, on Instagram, we’re @thepuckauthority. As always, stay tuned after the draft for post-picking analysis.
The draft itself gets underway with the first overall pick at 7:00pm. It will be carried on NBCSN, TVA Sports as well as Sportsnet. While the setup is unique and will mark a first, the NHL will be using technology to bring people together, fans and players alike. Until the first selection is made, be sure to keep up with the top insiders from HNIC to TSN and The Athletic. This includes Elliotte Friedman, Pierre LeBrun, Darren Dreger and Gord Miller.
Along with myself and our team, they will help to set the scene with both insight and interviews on Twitter and television. That does it for me for now, I’ll be back at 6:30 to bring you updates as they happen. Until then, you can find me on Twitter @JustinLevineHBS as further details seep through.
Thank you again for the support, it’s what makes us function and why we do what we do. Cheers for now!
Prior to the NHL Draft, the Montreal Canadiens announced the acquisition of right-winger Josh Anderson from the Columbus Blue Jackets. In exchange, the Canadiens traded Max Domi, who was set to become an unrestricted free agent.
Joining Max Domi in the trade is a third-round draft pick (78th overall). As per The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, the Blue Jackets had several teams who were reportedly in on the Canadian forward. He also adds that there was serious interest. As such, he adds that’s why Montreal “no doubt had to sweeten the pot with the third-round pick.’
The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline then added that Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen told him last month that Anderson would have played in the second round of the playoffs had the Blue Jackets gotten past Tampa Bay.
With the first overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, the New York Rangers select left-winger Alexis Lafreniere out of St. Eustache, Quebec. Lafreniere, 18, spent the 2019-20 season with the QMJHL’s Rimouski Oceanic. As per Sportsnet Stats, his 2.15 points per game last season was the highest mark among draft-eligible players. As well, it’s New York’s first No. 1 pick since selecting Andre Veilleux in 1965.
With the second overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, the Los Angeles Kings select centreman Quinton Byfield out of Newmarket, Ontario. Byfield, 18, spent the 2019-20 season with the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves.
With the third overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, the Ottawa Senators select centreman Tim Stutzle out of Viersen, Germany. Stutzle, 18, spent the 2019-20 season with the DEL’s Adler Mannheim.
With the fourth overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, the Detroit Red Wings select winger Lucas Raymond from Goteborg, Sweden. Raymond, 18, spent the 2019-20 season with Frolunda HC.
With the fifth overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, the Ottawa Senators select defensemen Jake Sanderson from Whitefish, Montana. Sanderson, 18, spent the 2019-20 season with the USHL’s USNTDP Juniors.
With the sixth overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, the Anaheim Ducks select defensemen Jamie Drysdale from Toronto, Ontario. Drysdale, 18, spent the 2019-20 season with the OHL’s Erie Otters.
With the seventh overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, the New Jersey Devils select right-winger Alexander Holtz from Saltsjö-Boo, Sweden. Holtz, 18, spent the 2019-20 season with the SHL’s Djurgårdens IF.
With the eighth overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, the Buffalo Sabres select right-winger Jack Quinn from Corbden, Ontario. Quinn, 19, spent the 2019-20 season with the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s.
With the ninth overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, the Minnesota Wild select centreman Marco Rossi from Feldkirch, Austria. Rossi, 19, spent the 2019-20 season with the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s.
With the tenth overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, the Winnipeg Jets select centreman Cole Perfetti from Whitby, Ontario. Perfetti, 18, spent the 2019-20 season with the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit.
With the eleventh overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, the Nashville Predators select goaltender Yaroslav Askarov from St. Petersburg, Russia. Askarov, 18, spent the 2019-20 season with the Russian National Team and SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL.
With the twelfth overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, the Florida Panthers select centreman Anton Lundell from Espoo, Finland. Lundell, 19, spent the 2019-20 season with HIFK in Liiga.
With the thirteenth overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, the Carolina Hurricanes select centreman Seth Jarvis from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Jarvis, 18, spent the 2019-20 season with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks.
With the fourteenth overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, the Edmonton Oilers select centreman Dylan Holloway from Calgary, Alberta. Holloway, 19, spent the 2019-20 season with the NCAA’s Wisconsin Badgers.
With the fifteenth overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, the Toronto Maple Leafs select left-winger Rodion Amirov from Salavat, Russia. Amirov, 19, spent the 2019-20 season with Salavat Yulaev Ufa in the KHL.
With the sixteenth overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, the Montreal Canadiens select defensemen Kaiden Guhle from Sherwood Park, Alberta. Guhle spent the 2019-20 season with the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders.
With the seventeenth overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, the Chicago Blackhawks select left-winger Lukas Reichel from Nurnberg, Germany. Reichel spent the 2019-20 season with the DEL’s Eisbären Berlin.
With the eighteenth overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, the New Jersey Devils select centreman Dawson Mercer from Carbonear, Newfoundland. Mercer, 18, spent the 2019-20 season from the QMJHL’s Chicoutimi Saguenéens.
The Calgary Flames have traded the nineteenth overall pick to the New York Rangers for selections 22 and 72 in the 2020 NHL Draft. This deal leaves the Rangers officially on the clock.
With the nineteenth overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, the New York Rangers select defensemen Braden Schneider from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Schneider, 19, spent the 2019-20 season with the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings.
With the twentieth overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, the New Jersey Devils select defensemen Shakir Mukhamadullin from Ufa, Russia. Mukhamadullin, 18, spent the 2019-20 season with Salavat Yulaev Ufa in the KHL.
With the twenty-first overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, the Columbus Blue Jackets select right-winger Yegor Chinakhov from Omsk, Russia. Chinakhov, 19, spent the 2019-20 season with the Avangard Omsk in the KHL.
The Calgary Flames have traded the twenty-second overall pick to the Washington Capitals for selections 24 and 80 in the 2020 NHL Draft. This deal leaves the Capitals officially on the clock.
With the twenty-second overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, the Washington Capitals select centreman Hendrix Lapierre from Gatineau, Quebec. Lapierre, 18, spent the 2019-20 season with the QMJHL’s Chicoutimi Saguenéens.
With the twenty-third overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, the Philadelphia Flyers select right-winger Tyson Foerster from Alliston, Ontario. Foerster, 18, spent the 2019-20 season with the OHL’s Barrie Colts.
With the twenty-fourth overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, the Calgary Flames select centreman Connor Zary from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Zary, 19, spent the 2019-20 season with the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers.
With the twenty-fifth overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, the Colorado Avalanche select defensemen Justin Barron from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Barron, 18, spent the 2019-20 season with the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads.
With the twenty-sixth overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, the St. Louis Blues select left-winger Jake Neighbours from Calgary, Alberta. Neighbours, 18, spent the 2019-20 season with the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings.
With the twenty-seventh overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, the Anaheim Ducks select right-winger Jacob Perreault from Montreal, Quebec. Perreault, 18, spent the 2019-20 season with the OHL’s Sarnia Sting.
With the twenty-eighth overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, the Ottawa Senators select centreman Ridley Greig from Lethbridge, Alberta. Greig spent the 2019-20 season with the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings.
With the twenty-ninth overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, the Vegas Golden Knights select centreman Brendan Brisson from Los Angeles, California. Brisson, 18, spent the 2019-20 season with the USHL’s Chicago Steel.
With the thirtieth overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, the Dallas Stars select centreman Mavrik Bourque from Plessisville, Quebec. Bourque, 18, spent the 2019-20 season with the QMJHL’s Shawinigan Cataractes.
With the thirty-first overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, the San Jose Sharks select right-winger Ozzy Wiesblatt from Calgary, Alberta. Wiesblatt, 18, spent the 2019-20 season with the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders.
On behalf of our team here at The Puck Authority, we would like to take a moment to thank everyone who followed along with our NHL Live Tracker. With round one of this year’s draft in the books, day two is set to get underway on Wednesday morning at 11:30amET. It can all be seen going down on NBCSN, TVA Sports and Sportsnet.
That’ll do it for me, thanks to all our readers who followed along tonight. I’ll be back at it Wednesday morning, but until that time, stay healthy and safe. Have a good night, folks!